Statutory Declarations of Identity for Permanent Residency
When a protected person is applying for permanent residency in Canada, they need to provide Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with documents to confirm their identity, such as a passport, travel document or identity documents issued outside of Canada.
In some situations, an applicant may not have a passport, travel document or identity documents. Instead, the applicant can provide statutory declarations attesting to their identity.
This blog post provides an overview of statutory declarations of identity and how Notarize.ca can help you complete them.
What is a statutory declaration of identity?
A statutory declaration is a legal document that allows a person to declare that something is true in order to satisfy a legal or regulatory requirement.
A statutory declaration of identity is a legal document that lets a person attest to their own identity, or the identity of another person.
If an applicant cannot include identity documents with their PR card renewal application, they need to provide two statutory declarations instead.
First, the applicant needs to swear a statutory declaration attesting to their identity and explaining why they cannot get identity documents issued outside of Canada. This reason must be reasonable, verifiable and related to the conditions of the country that would otherwise issue the identity documents.
Second, the applicant must provide a statutory declaration made by another person attesting to the applicant’s identity. This person can be a person or family member who knew the applicant before they arrived in Canada, or an official of an organization representing nationals of the applicant’s country of nationality or formal habitual residence
Do statutory declarations of identity need to be notarized?
Yes, statutory declarations of identity must be signed in front of a notary and then notarized.
Can statutory declarations of identity be notarized remotely?
Yes! Statutory declarations of identity can be notarized virtually. Notarize.ca makes it easy to notarize your statutory declarations online in minutes. This is how it works:
Create your secure Notarize.ca account and book your appointment
Meet with your notary professional by video conference
Electronically sign your statutory declaration and download the notarized document
Easy!
Ready to get started? Schedule your appointment today!
Questions?
Have more questions about virtual notary services for statutory declarations? We’re here to help. Contact us at hello@notarize.ca or call us at (888) 632-9971.
This blog post is for information purposes only. It is not legal advice. If you have questions about permanent residency applications, contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. For more information on protected persons and permanent residency, visit the IRCC web page Applications for permanent residence: Protected persons.
If you have questions about your legal rights, contact an immigration lawyer for help.